6% ABV
The History of Winter Welcome
Throughout history, beer of somewhat higher alcohol and richness has been enjoyed for the winter holidays, when old friends get together to enjoy the season. Wassail, a festival to celebrate winter and the beer that goes with it, predates the Christian era. Winter Welcome is vintage-dated with a special label each year, and was first shipped to the US in 1990 - it was the first imported winter seasonal beer. Serve in a traditional Sam Smith tulip or nonik glass for the holidays.

Taste
Honey-amber colored, creamy head of small bubbles, floral aroma and delicious caramel malt flavor with great finesse. Fine hop aroma finish and a fruity note from fermentation in open-topped stone "Yorkshire Squares."

Serving Suggestion
Roast goose, smoked turkey with oyster dressing, rack of lamb, candied yams, Smithfield hams, fresh pears and apples, Christmas cake. Serve in crystal tumblers, or traditional Yorkshire tulip or nonik pint glasses.

Accolades
90 points, Gold Medal - World Beer Championships, December 2019

A "Top Christmas Beer," The Spruce Eats, December 2019. "It's the perfect example of a winter warmer. . ."

"5 To Try: Winter Ales", Spirited Magazine Jan./Feb. 2018. "An exceptional revisit: packed with pristine caramels, toffee and a spicy undertone of hops. It's a classic winter option that still disappears."

90 points, Gold Medal, Beverage Testing Institute, November, 2017

4/5 Stars, Highly Recommended, Spirit Journal, December 2016

92 points, Gold Medal, Beverage Testing Institute, 2016

Four of Five Stars, Very Good, Celebrator Beer News, December 2016/January 2017

Four-and-a-half stars: "The aroma is very complex offering scents of toasted malt, sweet caramel, dried fruits (like a great fruit cake), and a balancing earthy bitterness. The palate echoes the nose delivering a rich caramel and grain-driven core with a generous dose of baking spices and dry grains with earthy hops. Full-bodied with a lush texture ideally balancing power with delicacy." - BevX.com.

"This joyously rich, creamy, malty wonder is still the benchmark." - Christmas Beer, Don "Joe Sixpack" Russell, 2008

"Best beer I've ever had." - Northwest Brew News

Product Sizes and Quantities
18.7 ounce (550 ml) "Victorian Pint" bottles / 12 per case
12 ounce (355 ml) bottles / 6 - 4 packs per case
Stats
ABV: 6.0% - OG: 1.056 - IBU: 32
Ingredients: Water, barley malt, hops, yeast.

Nutritional info: Serving Size - 12 oz. (355 ml). Calories: 210; Total Fat 0 g (0% Daily Value); Sodium 30 mg (1% DV); Total Carbohydrates 15 g (5% DV); Sugars 1 g; Protein 2 g (4% DV). (Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet.)

Erik's overly sentimental note.
A beer that has always said fancy to me. I remember going into the "state store" as a child with my father and seeing Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome on the shelf. It just said the holidays were here. Years later, I finally tried Winter Welcome and, the memory came to mind with two other thoughts. First, a great beer that feels like something I did not know I had missed. The second was amazement at how great it tasted for its relatively low cost. I endorse this beer for the holiday season.

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